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Donor conceived people


A donor offspring, or donor conceived person, is conceived via the donation of sperm (sperm donation) or ova (egg donation), or both, either from two separate donors or from a couple. In the case of embryo donation, the conceiving parents are a couple.

Donor conceived people may never learn of their true birth origins as information about their true biological parent(s) is not recorded on the birth certificate. However, many can get information through DNA testing. Donor conceived people may have many half siblings as a result of the same person's donations.

With the significant increase in the numbers of donor-conceived individuals (38,910 live babies were born in 2005 as a result of 134,260 ART cycles performed at reporting U.S. clinics in 2005, compared with 20,659 babies born as a result of 64,036 ART cycles in 1996), many have questioned the ethics surrounding the technologies and human decisions surrounding donor conception, and there has been plenty of controversy. For example, the term "Snowflake baby" was coined in reference to unused frozen embryos (left over from other couples' attempts to conceive through in vitro fertilization) that have been "adopted" by families. Pro-life advocates tend to support such adoptions.

It should be noted that "ART Cycles" are not accurate as many people (<40%) who use IVF (egg donation) do not report their births 2012 Asia Pacific Journal of Reproduction: Donor type and parental disclosure following oocyte donation. (2012) 39-45. Volume 1, Number 1>, and that there is no tracking or record keeping required for children born from sperm donation. Estimates of 30,000-60,000 often used are from estimates made with incomplete records from the mid 1980s. Artificial Insemination: Practice in the United States: Summary of a 1987 Survey Office of Technology Assessment | 1988].

The psychological and social impacts of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) on donor-conceived children and their families has gained a great deal of interest in recent years as this population has continued to grow. An increasing number of family-support organizations strongly encourage parents to openly discuss their children's origins, whether through donor insemination or following treatment with donated gametes. Studies suggest that the parents' level of comfort with their use of donor conception positively influences the mental health of their donor-conceived offspring.


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